The Story

A week later Lucas and the old poet were together again. They sat down in front of each other, not uttering a word. They saw each other’s eyes. Dwelled there for a long time, while tears were running down their cheeks. They did need each other desparately. Together they would find the enigma of reading and the enigma of a story. One entity.

Paper came on the table. Lucas saw the old poet’s green eyes, while the poet enjoyed Lucas’ black eyes, seeing the glow of boyhood, longing for learning.

Yes, this was a special meeting. And a story came out of it. How magic:

There was a palm tree in India. It was a special tree, but you could not see it at the first glance. It looked like other palm trees, just the way children are alike in many ways. That is the way it is with God’s creations: they seem alike, until you know them well. All children are different, but look alike at the first glance. As soon as you get a close relationship with a child, you see how special it is.

It is the same with palm trees. They all have wonderful leaves, and when the wind is running through them, they look like a harp playing. You hear the eternal, but unhearable music. The cosmic music. So all palm trees are cosmic, as are all children. God created them universal and cosmic, but gave each of them a special gift – a potential – a humanistic ability, that you can only discover by meeting other people and sharing life with them.

The palm tree in India had a special gift, which was not at all recognisable. You had to sit down under the tree for many hours before being aware of its ability. Maybe you will not believe it, but this palm tree had juice in its fruits, and if you stayed long enough below it, a drop could hit your mind, and you changed forever. Especially when you were ready for it.

It is the same with children. They cannot learn, until they are ready for it. Spiritual readiness is needed, and a child cannot be taught, until its spirits are bursting from readiness. So teachers have to create this readiness, and it is not easy at all.

God created palm trees in the same way. You know, palm trees can communicate, as we do, and if there is nobody to communicate with, they cannot grow. The palm tree in India was the only tree on the square, but in older times it had been together with a lot of palm trees. They have been felled decades ago, so a new square could be built. Now it was alone in the town, but it had not forgotten the old times.

This is the way it is with children as well. The childhood stays in them forever and provides wisdom and acumen, when they grow adult. The roots of wisdom grow from the childhood. You have to think this over!

And the palm tree did remember its childhood. It had seen the first cars coming through the town, even the first trains – and it never forgot its thoughts about these new inventions. How come that people all the time invented new things – was it pure happiness – or did new inventions disturb the spiritual balance in mankind and Nature?

Children think the same. They are hooked by new digital devices, but subconsciously they sense, that there is a risk by using them. You can lose control of your soul and forget your responsibility. This is a serious matter.

The palm tree knew all this and waited for a boy to come. It wanted a boy, whose mind was ready to come and rest below the tree for a long time. Every time it saw children pass by, music sounded from its leaves, but the children passed by with their digital devices, playing music and games. They even did not seem to see the tree. What a pity for the tree!

Then one day – a warm and sunny day – a boy came along the street alone. He had a book under his arm, and no digital devices. And the palm tree let the most beautiful music sound, so it could be heard all over the town.

And behold: the boy sat down in its shadow, opening a book with a deep sigh.

“What is wrong,” the tree said.

“I cannot read,” the boy said weepingly. “I am expected to have read this book till to-morrow. But I can’t. The letters twist around on the pages, so I can’t figure out the words. It makes no sense to me.”

“I’m lucky, that I don’t have to read,” the tree said.

“But you know things, that I don’t.“

“You’re right. It was not easy for me, when I was little. But Nature’s soul helped me – I don’t know how it happened.”

“I guess you have longed for knowledge,” the boy said.

“Sure, I was desperate.”

“So am I.” He opened the book, and in the same moment a fairy flew out of the book and settled on one of the tree’s leaves. Oh!”

“So you see, my boy. You are ready now.”

The boy looked at the pages. “Oh, the word “fairy” is not there anymore. So the story is worth nothing. It does not work without the fairy.”

“Exactly,” the palm tree said. “Take the next page.”

The boy did, and the king jumped out of the book and stood right in front of him.

“Now I can’t read anything – it’s pure nonsense.”

“Do you need this story,” the tree asked.

“I sure do. But who will jump out next?”

“It might be the prince or the princess,” the tree said. “Try!”

The boy took the next page, and the prince and the princess jumped out and disappeared.

“Oh, what a pity,” the boy said. “The story has been destroyed. I want them to come back.“ He caressed the trunk of the tree and prayed, “Please, come back, fairy and king, prince and princess!”

“Close your eyes,” the tree said. “And try to concentrate on the text.“ A drop of wisdom hit the boy’s black hair and penetrated to his soul. Simultaneously the fairy, the king, the prince and the princess jumped back into the book and changed into words.

“Now try to read,” the tree said.

And would you imagine. The story was there, and a crowd of children stood around him, listening to the wonderful words.

Oh what a magic – a new boy of this world could read, and the text settled in his mind forever!

CHAPTER III